Pedestrian killed crossing Ritchie Highway in Brooklyn Park

Mary Gail Hare, The Baltimore Sun

A pedestrian, who police say was jaywalking on Ritchie Highway in Brooklyn Park Thursday night, died after being struck by a pickup truck.

Cheryl Lynn Knick, 57, of the 5100 block of Brookwood Road in the same neighborhood, died at Harbor Hospital soon after the 7:44 p.m. accident on the highway, south of the intersection with 11th Avenue West.

The truck was traveling south on the highway. Its driver, a 53-year-old Gambrills man, swerved to avoid the victim, who was not crossing at a designated crosswalk and had failed to yield to southbound traffic, police said. The driver, who was not injured, was unable to avoid the pedestrian, police said.

According to a preliminary investigation, pedestrian error was the primary cause of this crash and speed on the part of the driver was not a factor, police said. The victim's dark clothing also made it difficult for motorists to see her, police said.